The Spitfire's most feared opponent

If you mentioned BMW to most people, they think of a car. They don't think of something with an engine of 1,800 horsepower powering one of the deadliest fighters of the Second World War. The Focke-Wulf 190.
Kurt Tank's design of the Focke-Wulf 190 was hunched like a pitbull. Very strong in design. Tapered wing edges. It could roll very fast. It could take a lot of punishment. And the performance was electrifying.
In this video, IWM Duxford's Graham Rodgers explored the history of Germany's 'Butcher Bird'.
Plan your visit to IWM Duxford: www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-dux...
Explore and licence the film clips used in this video from IWM Film:
film.iwmcollections.org.uk/co...
War in the Air book: shop.iwm.org.uk/p/26905/War-I...
Kurt Tank images:
Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-L18396 / CC-BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-676-7975A-31 / CC-BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-676-7975A-23 / CC-BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-676-7975A-28 / CC-BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Follow IWM on social media:
/ i_w_m
/ imperialwarmuseums
/ iwm.london

Пікірлер: 716

  • @PaddyPatrone
    @PaddyPatrone5 ай бұрын

    The 190`s cockpit layout is a thing of beauty. So clean.

  • @werre2

    @werre2

    5 ай бұрын

    190's cockpit layout is awesome compared to other planes of the time. Logical and - as you put it - clean.

  • @wrathofatlantis2316

    @wrathofatlantis2316

    5 ай бұрын

    And way more cramped than the Me-109... 22 inches at the shoulders vs 24, and no lateral head movement at all... But the FW-190A turned slightly better at low speeds, especially to the right below 250 mph, and that mattered more than anything else about it: Russian Red Fleet article: "The 190A will inevitably offer turning combat at minimum speed." And if you think that is wrong, you haven't shot down as many of them as Pierre Clostermann (10): "The idea that at low speeds, below 220 knots, the Spitfire out-turned the FW-190A, or the 109, is a good joke." And no, they mostly fought at 3Gs and 200 mph, and almost never above 5G (although the Spitfire more often did, since like the P-51, it liked high speeds)...

  • @fraggsta

    @fraggsta

    5 ай бұрын

    It's one of the first aircraft to make an attempt at an ergonomic cockpit layout. By this I mean main flying instruments grouped together, engine instruments grouped etc. Contrast this to earlier British aircraft where the designers and engineers pretty much just put the instruments wherever there was space on the panel with no real thought towards how the pilot needed to use them. I'm not sure which did this first but the P51 was also an early attempt to group the instruments into a logical layout to make things easier for the pilot. Another thing that is worth mentioning about the 190 is how many of its control surfaces were electrically operated and generally very easy to use. Later in the war this was important, with inexperienced pilots.

  • @ericbouchard7547

    @ericbouchard7547

    5 ай бұрын

    The cockpit ended up influencing the design of the later F8F Bearcat. To quote an article: "The Bearcat's design was influenced by an evaluation in early 1943 by Grumman test pilots and engineering staff of a captured Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter in England.[1]After flying the Fw 190, Grumman test pilot Bob Hall wrote a report he directed to President Leroy Grumman who personally laid out the specifications for Design 58, the successor to the Hellcat, closely emulating the design philosophy that had spawned the German lightweight fighter." As an aside, Hall wasn't told about the 190s landing characteristics, namely that it lands quite heavily with the throttle completely retracted. Hall, accustomed to landing Grumman designs that--being carrier aircraft--were intended to be landed with the engine at idle, ended up bouncing the 190 down the runway and slamming the throttle forward to gain some altitude. On his next attempt, he kept a bit of throttle on. A few of the British ground crewmen made some money, having bet to see how high Hall would bounce when he landed. This latter anecdote can be found in an audio recording of Hall on the Credo Library at Umass dot edu.

  • @wrathofatlantis2316

    @wrathofatlantis2316

    5 ай бұрын

    @@fraggsta Only the mobile cowl ring and flaps were electric, not the control surfaces. Although the 190 controls were in fact actuated by rods not the usual cables, which rods were less susceptible to slackening over time. It is true the 190 was more newbie friendly, but to get the most out of it, the 109 was actually more "normal" and intuitive. The 190 required combat at low speeds were you pushed on the stick to turn at its best (below 250 mph at 3 Gs), and you had to make the best low speed turns not only by pushing slightly to keep the nose from rising, but also with the stick deflected to catch the wing drop: This was very unsettling for newbies as it was not a normal way of flying, but was where the 190 out-turned most types, especially Spitfires, and P-51s even more so in right turns (again, left turns were more natural to most right handed pilots).

  • @alanwayte432
    @alanwayte4325 ай бұрын

    My Grandfather flew Mk9s in the war, it was his favourite plane, he flew Hurricane Spitfire Mk2 MK5 Mk9 then Tempests, he said when 190 was introduced the only hope was to stick with your wing man in a tight turn, but equally when MK9 was introduced the 190 pilots were stunned. My Grandfather died aged 99 in his bed ❤

  • @markfryer9880

    @markfryer9880

    5 ай бұрын

    He was a very fortunate man. He got paid to fly some of the best aircraft ever, and he lived to tell the tale. Many of his contemporaries were not as fortunate. He had a family and lived to be 99. Can't ask for much more out of life than all of that!

  • @davidelliott5843

    @davidelliott5843

    5 ай бұрын

    The Spitfire Mk-9 was introduced very quickly. It must been planned a good while before it was needed.

  • @brucetucker4847

    @brucetucker4847

    5 ай бұрын

    @@davidelliott5843 They had planned the Mk 8 but it wasn't going to be ready as soon as it needed so the Mk 9 was kind of a stopgap hybrid between the 5 and the 8 that could be rushed into service very quickly - the first ones were essentially Mk 5 airframes with minimal modifications to take the Merlin 61 engine intended for the Mk 8.

  • @maryrose2676

    @maryrose2676

    5 ай бұрын

    I saw the title and wondered if it applied to all spitfire marks. Good thing your comment was second from the top. :)

  • @dukecraig2402

    @dukecraig2402

    5 ай бұрын

    The 2 stage 2 speed supercharger in the Mk IX is what put it in another class, previous to that they had single stage 2 speed superchargers that really only made max power up to and including medium altitude, the 2 stage supercharger gave it high altitude performance. What's curious about the different Spitfire Mk's though is they also made low altitude versions of each one that had single stage single speed superchargers on the engine's, when you see Mk IXla that means it's one of the low altitude (la) variant's. I've never understood why they just didn't have a designated low altitude Mk instead of making low altitude variant's of the different Mk's, if anything you'd think it'd have been easier on the mechanics and the people in maintenance that have to order and keep track of all the parts.

  • @pogonator1
    @pogonator15 ай бұрын

    You forget to mention the one feature that made the 190 engine unique, the Kommadogerät. An engine control that automatically adjusted engine fuel flow, propeller pitch, supercharger setting, mixture and ignition timing so that the pilot only had to control a single power lever. Not having to think about all the adjustments you have to make while throttling back or giving full power, could give you a real advantage during a fight.

  • @ohger1

    @ohger1

    5 ай бұрын

    Particularly for the new pilots being rushed into the air. There were times when manual adjustments of things like pitch and mixture were handy on long range escort duty.

  • @biddyboy1570

    @biddyboy1570

    5 ай бұрын

    No supercharger

  • @TotalGarbo

    @TotalGarbo

    5 ай бұрын

    The FW190 does have a supercharger. @@biddyboy1570

  • @ryanwhitten8545

    @ryanwhitten8545

    5 ай бұрын

    @@biddyboy1570 2 stage supercharger

  • @23GreyFox

    @23GreyFox

    4 ай бұрын

    American test pilots didn't like this feature for some reason.

  • @crazymoose9875
    @crazymoose98755 ай бұрын

    If the Me109 was a race horse in it's Time... the FW190 concept was a WAR HORSE....!!!! Greetings from Lima-Perú!!!

  • @luislealsantos

    @luislealsantos

    5 ай бұрын

    Concordo inteiramente. Salud.

  • @gregorteply9034

    @gregorteply9034

    5 ай бұрын

    Got coke?

  • @Tancred73

    @Tancred73

    5 ай бұрын

    Haha.. excellent analogy!

  • @ARGONUAT

    @ARGONUAT

    5 ай бұрын

    But the original Warthog was the beast from Farmingdale - the P-47 Thunderbolt!

  • @guaporeturns9472

    @guaporeturns9472

    5 ай бұрын

    @@josephheselberger4356You know what he’s talking about so why correct him?

  • @Surestick88
    @Surestick885 ай бұрын

    The 190's kommandogerät, essentially a mechanical FADEC, should get a mention as it enabled single lever control of the the engine & prop which was a big advantage in combat compared to other airplanes.

  • @kingbolt86
    @kingbolt865 ай бұрын

    I read that not long after the 8th Air Force B-17s started encountering the FW-190, the 100th Bomb Group had hung a poster outside one of the duty huts depicting an illustration of a grinning pilot asking, "Who's afraid of the new Focke Wulf?" and all the men began signing their names on the poster.

  • @joshuawhittaker1197
    @joshuawhittaker11975 ай бұрын

    I particularly enjoy the insights from pilots of opposing air forces who've flown other planes

  • @archibaldmccutcheon5884
    @archibaldmccutcheon58845 ай бұрын

    My father was a B-17 pilot and was shot down by the Butcher Bird. The allied bomber pilots were more concerned by the 190 than the 109. Hellavu plane.

  • @MattKearneyFan1

    @MattKearneyFan1

    5 ай бұрын

    The 190 could carry more cannons and rocket mortars. Definitely a nightmare to bombers

  • @NiSiochainGanSaoirse

    @NiSiochainGanSaoirse

    5 ай бұрын

    I've heard that many a time too. respectfully, A royal Signaller.

  • @user-bx5fi4il6m

    @user-bx5fi4il6m

    5 ай бұрын

    @@MattKearneyFan1 standard was 4x20 mm + some MGs, I play just simulators and its better shredder than messer

  • @user-tt6il2up4o

    @user-tt6il2up4o

    5 ай бұрын

    There is a good video explaining how the German cannon HE worked and how effective it was at bringing down any aircraft.

  • @sirscrotum

    @sirscrotum

    5 ай бұрын

    Janes wwii fighters, standard fw190 loadout was 4 20mm cannons+2 12.7mm through the propeller. That was some serious firepower. Y i loved the plane.

  • @Cheka__
    @Cheka__5 ай бұрын

    Probably. Definitely Germany's prettiest warbird of WW2. Although, the 109 is pretty, too. Honestly, as WW2 fighter aircraft fanboy, they're all pretty.

  • @jskypercussion

    @jskypercussion

    5 ай бұрын

    They really were

  • @BlackMasakari

    @BlackMasakari

    5 ай бұрын

    Hello ? Do-335 ?

  • @jus7040

    @jus7040

    3 ай бұрын

    Ju-87 "Stuka" (Sturzkampfbomber - Dive Bomber)

  • @TwinTalon01

    @TwinTalon01

    2 ай бұрын

    As a fellow WW2 aircraft fanboy, totally agree. I always loved the brutish look of the 190, way more than the boxy-canopy 109. The 109 looks mass-produced by comparison, the 190 looks much more special. I’ve always especially liked the stubbier look of the early 190 models, less so the later and more slender D models.

  • @wethepeoplearepidoff1776

    @wethepeoplearepidoff1776

    Ай бұрын

    @@jus7040 the stuka was a decent plane but definitely not a pretty one

  • @BeatPoet67
    @BeatPoet675 ай бұрын

    It's a beautiful machine. I used to build lots of aeroplane kits as a kid and I always felt a slight pang of guilt when I liked the aesthetics of a German WW2 plane. This was one of them.

  • @o.k.2968

    @o.k.2968

    5 ай бұрын

    There is no need to be ashamed of these feelings. People should like smart inventions, comfortable and stylish things, that’s normal. In the end, you evaluate not political Nazism, but the results of the work of talented German engineers and designers. I am sure that they would diligently made their planes, tanks, small arms and military uniforms regardless of what Germany's ideology would was.

  • @mayamanign

    @mayamanign

    4 ай бұрын

    Why? The Nazis were filth, but their machines are the best looking easily by miles.

  • @rileyp1419

    @rileyp1419

    3 ай бұрын

    A lot of our modern technology came from N@zi scientists.

  • @henrywalker8287
    @henrywalker82875 ай бұрын

    That intro about BMW drivers is spot on!

  • @charleswaynewright2042
    @charleswaynewright20424 ай бұрын

    It is amazing how complex these radial aircraft engines were in the 30s and 40s i saw one in a scrap yard apart enough to see the connecting rods the crank timing was so amazing i just stood there gazing at it so long that the owner walked up to asked what i thought i told him thats the finest piece of art ive ever saw including books

  • @patrickcosgrove2623
    @patrickcosgrove26235 ай бұрын

    Great video on the history of the FW190 and well presented too by the curator. Really enjoyed it, thanks for sharing 😊

  • @williambush1975
    @williambush19754 ай бұрын

    like all german engineering,not only the best but a beautiful piece of craftmanship

  • @jacktattis

    @jacktattis

    3 ай бұрын

    But restricted in service ceiling and Climb Rate

  • @jurgenhofmann6779
    @jurgenhofmann67795 ай бұрын

    My eldest uncle was a flight-teacher in the 109 from 1938 on - and sent to the eastern front in 1942. He had to switch from the 109 to the 190 and was very unhappy after the first flights due to the fact "that this bird is flying like a Panzer IV" But this changed after the first dogfights with IL2 and LAG3 - and he wrote in his letters that "Marianne (the namen he gave to his 190) saved my life again today" Btw: Kurt Tank wasn`t a real aircraft designer/engineer - he studied electrical engineering - the reason behind why all his aircrafts havent had any hydraulic systems

  • @joangratzer2101

    @joangratzer2101

    5 ай бұрын

    109 = THOUROBRED 190 = WAR HORSE

  • @oliverhaake7552

    @oliverhaake7552

    5 ай бұрын

    Thanks for sharing this little story. Appreciate it.

  • @craigtank4067

    @craigtank4067

    5 ай бұрын

    What is a “real aircraft designer/engineer”? My great uncle Kurt was born in the 1890’s. He was educated at University in the the later 19 teens and early 1920’s. There were not during those Times aeronautical engineering programs at universities as such the folks designing planes had to come from somewhere. This point is probably best made by Kurt Tank’s title at the end of his career. As he held the title of Professor of aeronautical engineering. It’s also worth pointing out that when you look at educational backgrounds and use them as the standard neither Willie Messerschmidt nor the Horton Brothers would be classified as aeronautical engineers either.

  • @Lexbomb6464

    @Lexbomb6464

    3 ай бұрын

    @@joangratzer2101 well the 109 was originally a racing plane right?

  • @joangratzer2101

    @joangratzer2101

    3 ай бұрын

    @@Lexbomb6464 THE FW-190 WAS A WAR HORSE AND PERFORMED MAGNIFICENTLY IN A NUMBER OF ROLES; GROUND ATTACK/TROOP COVER, DOG FIGHTING, BOMBER KILLING.

  • @1Tranan
    @1Tranan5 ай бұрын

    I absolutely love the videos IWM is putting out. Hearing about the history and development of technology in and out of war is fascinating, thank you so much. I hope there’s plans to make more with as many aircraft/vehicles/ships as possible! If I get the chance to cross the pond, Duxford is very high on my list of places to visit. Thanks for the great work

  • @EllieMaes-Grandad

    @EllieMaes-Grandad

    5 ай бұрын

    Visit the Shuttleworth Collection too.

  • @screechowl75
    @screechowl755 ай бұрын

    My dad drove for the red ball express during the DDay invasion delivering ammunition to the troops once they got off the beach. He always kept a lookout for the 190's as they were more feared than the 109's. The 190's were ideal for strafing troops and columns of trucks like the ammo trucks my dad drove.

  • @FordHoard

    @FordHoard

    5 ай бұрын

    That's awesome, my great uncle drove an ammo truck in Vietnam.

  • @hb9145
    @hb91455 ай бұрын

    I saw a restored Fw 190 at the aircraft museum in Bodø, Norway. It was a beautiful and mean-looking aircraft.

  • @ancliuin2459
    @ancliuin24595 ай бұрын

    Thank you for an excellent and balanced presentation. Happy to remain subscribed to the IWMs excellent content!

  • @andrewpinner3181
    @andrewpinner31815 ай бұрын

    Thanks IWM for another great explanatory video.

  • @garyshuttleworth3459
    @garyshuttleworth34595 ай бұрын

    great to watch, many thanks to all involved in the video

  • @CathodeRayNipplez
    @CathodeRayNipplez4 ай бұрын

    Love Graham Rodgers presentations. 👍

  • @Miamcoline
    @Miamcoline5 ай бұрын

    Fascinating! Not usually my cup of tea but it really goes to show the constant competition and outclassing that occurs in war.

  • @BH-of7kn
    @BH-of7kn4 ай бұрын

    Yet again Graham Rodgers gives a very interesting and informative talk. Thank you Graham.

  • @Simbalion1077
    @Simbalion10775 ай бұрын

    My favorite allied fighters of the war are the Corsair and the Spitfire (of course). When I first saw the 190 on special about the war years ago, I fell in love with it and it is the only German aircraft that I really like. I find them all fascinating, but the 190 holds a special place in my heart due to being a true warhorse of a fighter and I just love the way it looks.

  • @neilharrison1420
    @neilharrison14205 ай бұрын

    such a great video,thank you so much for making and sharing.

  • @ronfyffe3169
    @ronfyffe31695 ай бұрын

    Excellent delivery, thank you.

  • @roygardiner2229
    @roygardiner22295 ай бұрын

    Thank you! That was so enjoyable, so informative.

  • @waglefar
    @waglefar5 ай бұрын

    Solid! Thanks for sharing with us

  • @ianthomson9363
    @ianthomson93635 ай бұрын

    I always learn something I didn't know from these Duxford videos. Thank you.

  • @theluckyegg3613
    @theluckyegg36134 ай бұрын

    That was an absolute incredible documentation. Positive and not belittling. RIP all fighter Pilots.

  • @einundsiebenziger5488

    @einundsiebenziger5488

    4 ай бұрын

    Not all, There are quite a few who committed war crimes, German and allied pilots alike.

  • @alrichardson8759
    @alrichardson87595 ай бұрын

    A wonderful, insightful presentation. Superb work.

  • @peterraab9004
    @peterraab90043 ай бұрын

    This is excellent. Thanks for the video.

  • @shinhoshi
    @shinhoshi5 ай бұрын

    Glorious as always, Graham. Hope we can come to Duxford next year :)

  • @g.p.1676
    @g.p.16768 күн бұрын

    Fantastic video and very good presentation. Thank you from Germany!

  • @eastwest1362
    @eastwest13622 ай бұрын

    Another superb presentation Graham.

  • @ratius1979
    @ratius19794 ай бұрын

    Superbly narrated. So natural 😊

  • @undxfea1ed
    @undxfea1ed5 ай бұрын

    Nice facts that I didn't know of. Great video!

  • @martinjohnson9316
    @martinjohnson93165 ай бұрын

    Top quality presentation and content...thank you!

  • @richardthornton3775
    @richardthornton37755 ай бұрын

    Fantastic video, thank you mate🙏 IWM & The Tank museum, really have got a great team of commentators & experts, that do a brilliant job at bringing these stories to life, and, (more often than not) stood or leaning on, one of the actual aircraft or vehicles etc, shown in the footage. 🙏 What is your opinion on the what was the ‘Best’ piston engined fighter of WW2? It’d be Interesting to see if it turns out to be either a fighter that appeared during the war, like the Focke Wulf 190, Mustang et all or, one that was continuously developed throughout the War like the Spitfire or 109.

  • @caspercat39
    @caspercat395 ай бұрын

    Great video enjoyed this one 👍

  • @ramoneortiz
    @ramoneortiz5 ай бұрын

    Awesome video. Greetings from the son of a WWII combat veteran living in southern Nevada, USA. As a single engine pilot, I love all WWII fighters.

  • @slamtailsuspension1933
    @slamtailsuspension19335 ай бұрын

    Fantastic insight to the Butcher Bird

  • @habibnetanukefuel795
    @habibnetanukefuel7953 ай бұрын

    Great narrative , thankyou Gents.

  • @juaniravaioli
    @juaniravaioli5 ай бұрын

    LOVE ALL OF THESE VIDEOS! Great job, guys. Someday, I'll visit the museum and meet the birds in person. Cheers from Argentina.

  • @rolanddunk5054
    @rolanddunk50545 ай бұрын

    A great video about a brilliant aircraft one of my favourites,cheers Roly🇬🇧.

  • @whbrown1862
    @whbrown18625 ай бұрын

    Great video! Thank you!

  • @54mgtf22
    @54mgtf225 ай бұрын

    Hey IWM. Love your work 👍

  • @aquamarin6514
    @aquamarin65143 ай бұрын

    What an excellent Video - all useful information&very well presented - Thanx -10 out of 10 - Keep up that good work !

  • @kpsig
    @kpsig5 ай бұрын

    Brilliant, thank you.

  • @bluthammer1442
    @bluthammer14425 ай бұрын

    excellent presentation!

  • @liverpoolscottish6430
    @liverpoolscottish64303 ай бұрын

    Johnny Johnson's first encounter with the, 'Butcher Bird,' aka FW 190 occurred during the Dieppe operation in 1942. He provides a detailed account of the action in his book, 'Wing Leader.' He engaged with the unfamiliar looking aircraft and initially held the advantage. However, each time he was about to get into a firing position in his Spitfire VB, the 190 would zoom climb, the VB couldn't stay with it. Johnson also noted that the 190 had a faster rate of roll than his VB. The action continued for about ten minutes of so, eventually, Johnson found himself on the defensive in a tight turn- he believed the tried and tested trick of using a tight turn would out him back on the tail of the 190. He held the turn for 2-3 complete 360 circles, looked over his shoulder and was mortified to see the 190 was nosing around- catching him in the turn. JJ engaged full throttle and pulled the stick back even harder to the point that the VB was shuddering and vibrating- which was what the Spit did to warn it's pilot when it was on the verge of a stall. Looking over his shoulder the 190 was STILL hanging on and slowly edging around, JJ knew that within another couple of turns, the 190 would be a firing position. He knew he needed to do something drastic to escape. Glancing down into the Channel, he observed a RN destroyer and he immediately knew what to do. JJ threw the Spitfire into a dive- heading straight down at the RN destroyer. He 'pulled the tit' ie pushed the throttle right through the gate, thus over riding the rev limiter and applied full WEP - war emergency power. He came howling down at the RN destroyer- the gunner opened fire and sent up a wall of flak. The 190 pilot who was following after JJ had enough- he broke off and headed off back to France. JJ escaped back to Britain and immediately submitted a detailed intel report on the capabilities of the 190. In his account, when he refers to his defensive turn under full power he stated, "The Spitfire was shaking and vibrating, right on the brink of a stall, and still the 190 stuck with me. I had asked the Spitfire for everything she had, and I was simply being out horse powered." Bring on the MK IX!!!! :)

  • @wrathofatlantis2316

    @wrathofatlantis2316

    Ай бұрын

    I think it could be that using maximum power did not help the turn times, and may have widened the radius... Quotes from a 1946 article: Johnny Johnson article (top Spitfire ace at 36 kills, and top FW-190A killer at 20): "My duel with the Focke-Wulf": "With wide-open throttles I held the Spitfire V in the tightest of vertical turns [Period slang for vertical bank]. I was greying out. Where was this German, who should, according to my reckoning, [b]be filling my gunsight? I could not see him, and little wonder, [b]for he was gaining on me: In another couple of turns he would have me in his sights.--I asked the Spitfire for all she had in the turn, but the enemy pilot hung behind like a leech.-It could only be a question of time." Many other pilots reported the same: RCAF John Weir interview for Veterans Affairs (Spitfire Mk V vs FW-190A-4 period): "A Hurricane was built like a truck, it took a hell of a lot to knock it down. It was very manoeuvrable, much more manoeuvrable than a Spit, so you could, we could usually outturn a Messerschmitt. They'd, if they tried to turn with us they'd usually flip, go in, at least dive and they couldn't. A Spit was a higher wing loading...The Hurricane was more manoeuvrable than the Spit and, and the Spit was probably, we (Hurricane pilots) could turn one way tighter than the Germans could on a Messerschmitt, but the Focke Wulf could turn the same as we could and, they kept on catching up, you know."." -Squadron Leader Alan Deere, (Osprey Spit MkV aces 1941-45, Ch. 3, p. 2): "Never had I seen the Hun stay and fight it out as these Focke-Wulf pilots were doing... In Me-109s the Hun tactic had always followed the same pattern: a quick pass and away, sound tactics against Spitfires and their superior turning circle. Not so these 190 pilots: They were full of confidence... We lost 8 to their one that day..." The Spitfire was best used at high speeds in a dive. It climbed well in steady climbs, even the Mk V out-climbed FW-190As, but it did not zoom climb very well from the extra speed of a dive.

  • @bobsakamanos4469

    @bobsakamanos4469

    2 күн бұрын

    You have to realize that the Mk.V underwent numerous upgrades including metal ailerons, clipped wings for much faster roll rate and Merlins designed for low flight and a climb rate of 4720 fpm. They were fast hotrods and could take on the 190 no problem.

  • @wrathofatlantis2316

    @wrathofatlantis2316

    2 күн бұрын

    @@bobsakamanos4469 No Spitfire Mark could turn with the FW-190A, but the Mark V was the closest. Turning at low speed (below 250 mph) is the only thing the FW-190A did well. Its high speed handling was vastly inferior to the Spitfire... This requires at least an 80% disparity from raw wingloading figures (to overcome a 50% difference: 30 lbs/sqfoot vs 45 lbs/sqfoot). The clue to what is happening is described (but not understood) by Eric Brown : He had to push on the 190A's stick in turns below 220 knots. The reason is the curvature of the air, combined with a high prop load from wing drag during turning, causes an induction between prop and wing. The air is compressed between prop and wing, causing tension between prop and wing: This does not create lift, but it does cancel out most of the nose's mass momentum.... You do not always need more energy to turn a heavier aircraft if you have more force, but to understand that you need to understand the differences between energy and force. Most people, including pilots, engineers and even some physics professors, have a terrible time applying those concepts to real world examples, which is why the myth of the 190's poor low speed turn persists.

  • @jeremyfdavies
    @jeremyfdavies5 ай бұрын

    Another great video.

  • @kennedysingh3916
    @kennedysingh39165 ай бұрын

    Very well presented. Watched from Old Harbour Jamaica.

  • @r.waynefournier4283
    @r.waynefournier42835 ай бұрын

    Well presented!

  • @lostinspacestudio
    @lostinspacestudio5 ай бұрын

    Excellent briefing!

  • @disturbingdevelopment4308
    @disturbingdevelopment43085 ай бұрын

    Brilliant summary of an underappreciated fighter. Thank you.

  • @senolhakan9255
    @senolhakan925516 күн бұрын

    i love to hear english in docus .. Especially the voice of Sir Eric Brown and the way he spoke.. so calm but so professional... A WW2 hero and real gentleman...

  • @thomasburke7995
    @thomasburke79955 ай бұрын

    The BMW engine in the fw190 is a development from the Pratt&Whittney hornet design. BMW got a licensed design from P&W . Also the bf109 was a design that was dated by the start of the battle of brittan. So by the time TANK had his airframe approved much had been developed that benefited in making the fw190 so formidable.

  • @einundsiebenziger5488

    @einundsiebenziger5488

    4 ай бұрын

    Battle* of Britain*

  • @jacktattis

    @jacktattis

    4 ай бұрын

    So that is why it could only get to 37400ft While the Spits were getting above 40000 ft

  • @WHJeffB
    @WHJeffB5 ай бұрын

    Excellent presentation!!! Interesting note on Priller... It appears he was the highest scoring Luftwaffe Ace against Spitfires. A total of 68 confirmed "kills" on Spitfires alone. Pretty impressive when you put that into context in that he shot down more Spitfires than any other single Allied ace shot down a total number of planes. But again, Luftwaffe pilots flew until they died.

  • @olafurthorarensen7918

    @olafurthorarensen7918

    5 ай бұрын

    I agree. Excellent presentation, music to my ears.

  • @user-bx5fi4il6m

    @user-bx5fi4il6m

    5 ай бұрын

    ... and had freedom just to hunt planes. Alied priority was to protect own bombers or ground troops from enemy. btw who really knows russian ace pokryshkin real kills. Some not counted cause stupid system, some "lost" during retreat in hurry, som gifted to killed mates cause it meaned money for their families.

  • @raypurchase801

    @raypurchase801

    5 ай бұрын

    @@user-bx5fi4il6m I tend to disbelieve the "kill" claims of the Luftwaffe aces. If those claims had been authentic, Germany would've won the war. Every air force exaggerated its kill-claims, some more than others.

  • @paulordeman5169

    @paulordeman5169

    4 ай бұрын

    Would be interesting to compare the Spitfire tallies of the German aces on the western front. There where several with totals well over the top Spitfire aces.

  • @robertbruce1887
    @robertbruce18875 ай бұрын

    Excellent video, great film footage, good straight forward no nonsense narration. Good point made about the very crucial pilot situation for the Luftwaffe towards the end of the war, they actually increased their aircraft production in 1944, but they just didn't have enough quality pilots.

  • @lekal6247
    @lekal62472 ай бұрын

    I could listen to this man speak all day

  • @emiliovicentin5813
    @emiliovicentin58135 ай бұрын

    Exceptional video and of course, an amazing airplane (if you ask me, the best sounding piston engine ever); cheers from Argentina !

  • @OldTimeyGraeme
    @OldTimeyGraeme5 ай бұрын

    Very good Thanks Mate

  • @plweis7203
    @plweis72035 ай бұрын

    Excellent analysis- thank you.

  • @tatooinefarmboy
    @tatooinefarmboy2 ай бұрын

    Fascinating

  • @alexfromboston8303
    @alexfromboston8303Ай бұрын

    Great vid very interesting.

  • @hmmjedi
    @hmmjedi5 ай бұрын

    An excellent short on the FW-190... well done to all involved...

  • @jamesrice6096

    @jamesrice6096

    5 ай бұрын

    Good analysis of equipment vs equipment. As to the men it makes me want to throw up.. The best of us wasted as trash.

  • @martentrudeau6948
    @martentrudeau69485 ай бұрын

    Great video and a great airplane. Thank you.

  • @fundermentalist9473
    @fundermentalist94735 ай бұрын

    Brilliant effort for the narrator 👌

  • @callenclarke371
    @callenclarke3713 ай бұрын

    Excellent content.

  • @RolfWolf707
    @RolfWolf7075 ай бұрын

    thx for the well spoken no nonsens- presentation of this great plane! the british way of making documentary videos about german warplanes is obviously far superior to the american counterparts - there is no unnecessary hatespeech involved, which i really appreciate

  • @pauldonnelly7949
    @pauldonnelly79495 ай бұрын

    A great video and thanks for producing it. One feature which you didn't mention was its incredible firepower. Think it was the heaviest of any ww2 single engined fighter with 4x20mm cannon and 2 x 7.7mm, later 2 x13 mm, machine guns..

  • @reavy6945

    @reavy6945

    4 ай бұрын

    Actually variants of it could even get up to 6x20mm + machineguns or 2x20mm and 2x30mm + machineguns.

  • @hansbaarjr.1367
    @hansbaarjr.13674 ай бұрын

    Speaker was surrounded by very interesting pieces...I need to go to UK & visit their museums ...

  • @ohger1
    @ohger15 ай бұрын

    Not bragging, but my dad was responsible for more downed German planes than anyone, both fighter and bomber. To this day he is known as the worst mechanic the Luftwaffe ever had..

  • @BillyBoucher-ql3pw

    @BillyBoucher-ql3pw

    Ай бұрын

    This deserves so many more likes

  • @erhanozaydin853
    @erhanozaydin8535 ай бұрын

    Also very mass producable. Got produced in respectable numbers till the very end of the war, its production was distributed across Germany. Kurt Tank took his time designing and fine tuning this one.

  • @vonMohl
    @vonMohl3 ай бұрын

    The narrator does an excellent job.

  • @vasileseaman5872
    @vasileseaman58722 ай бұрын

    Bmw didn't bother with indicators on this one😂

  • @1SaG
    @1SaG8 күн бұрын

    Anyone interested in these planes and with the GPU/CPU horsepower to run simulations should get into VR (virtual reality). The closest I get (or ever will get, sadly) to sitting inside these things is in PC games like IL-2 BoS or DCS - but only since high-res VR has become a thing have I truly started to appreciate just how much more modern the 190 was compared to the 109. VR does an excellent job of really putting you in the cockpit - one of my first comments when I started flying with a headset was that it's "like owning your own 109 or 190". In the Focke Wulf you instantly get not just how much more roomy its cockpit was, but also how much better the view out of it was (except over the nose, of course, because: huge-ass radial in front of you). This is especially true WRT the 5/7oc-views on the late-war Dora with the bubble-canopy fitted. And all 190s also have a super clean and straight-forward cockpit-/dash-design, with all instruments, indicators and switches put right where you'd expect them and where you need them. I've been flying virtual Bf 109s for over two decades now, so I feel oddly at home when I "sit" in one, but even I will admit that the 190 is exceptional when it comes to how much thought must've gone into its ergonomics. Especially when you compare it with other, non-German 1939/1940 fighter designs.

  • @riccardodececco4404
    @riccardodececco44045 ай бұрын

    Thank you for formulating "National Socialists" - and not "Nazis". It just adds to the professionalism of the presentation

  • @adamweaver1594
    @adamweaver15945 ай бұрын

    I agree that the 190 was germanys best all around fighter. Fighter, bomber, interceptor, and night fighter all in one. I think the 109 pilots who stuck with it, only did so for familiarity reasons.

  • @limbardo9169

    @limbardo9169

    5 ай бұрын

    Pilots didn't get to choose which plane they flew: if your squadron was issued with the 109, that's what you were flying

  • @Poliss95

    @Poliss95

    5 ай бұрын

    @@limbardo9169 The aces, such as Galland, got to choose. If Erich Hartmann had asked for a 190 I'm sure they would have given him one.

  • @mignav464
    @mignav4644 ай бұрын

    Very nicely done this video, many thanks! But please note the E at the End of "Focke" is not silent. Greetings from Bremen 😉

  • @LordFred69
    @LordFred694 ай бұрын

    good stuff. Thx

  • @goranilincic2644
    @goranilincic26445 ай бұрын

    Greatest ace of all the time ALL THE TIME flew the Bf109. That is enough for me,thank you. Bf109 forever. 💪

  • @ktcarl
    @ktcarl2 күн бұрын

    That Focke Wulf Ta. 152 was the best. It had a pressurized cabin and had a maximum ceiling of 48,550ft. One of the 152s test pilots encountered a couple of P-51s on a test flight and only had to open the throttle and pull away from them.

  • @Chyrosran22
    @Chyrosran225 ай бұрын

    Not to mention it was armed to the flipping teeth. The standard version iirc came with FOUR 20 mm cannons, not to mention two 50 cals.

  • @bananabrooks3836
    @bananabrooks38362 ай бұрын

    These bitesize appraisals are an excellent appetiser for people. Factual, to the point and with short stories carefully inserted.

  • @zeno6111753
    @zeno61117533 ай бұрын

    "... a driver that forget his indicators" so very true! ;)

  • @clausqp
    @clausqp5 ай бұрын

    thanks for sharing, realy good :)

  • @MRFLESHSTORM
    @MRFLESHSTORM4 ай бұрын

    the most beautiful Bird ever built ..

  • @ralfybaby

    @ralfybaby

    4 ай бұрын

    I guess you have never seen a Spit .....

  • @MRFLESHSTORM

    @MRFLESHSTORM

    4 ай бұрын

    @@ralfybaby YUP MANY TIMES,, right after the 190 is the F-4U

  • @richtaylor2129
    @richtaylor21295 ай бұрын

    Love the videos IWM put out!! You all do a great job!! Seen the FW190 on display at RAF Museum Midlands. Only one original FW190 is airworthy which is part of the Flying Heritage Combat Museum founded by the late Co founder of Microsoft Paul Allen but, that is soon to change as the Collings Foundation have one & is being restored by GossHawk in the USA. it has done engine runs.

  • @philodonoghue3062

    @philodonoghue3062

    5 ай бұрын

    agreed. The imperial war museums are comprehensive, authoritative, in fact the final word - with knowledgeable presenters

  • @oliverbourne9599

    @oliverbourne9599

    5 ай бұрын

    Hasn't Hanger 10 got a 190 ?

  • @andrewwaller5913

    @andrewwaller5913

    5 ай бұрын

    ​@@oliverbourne9599It has but its a reproduction not an original.

  • @alessiodecarolis
    @alessiodecarolis5 ай бұрын

    If the Bf109 was a Greyhound, the FW190 was a real mastiff, well armed and fast, luckily it entered in service more than a year after BoB, it could've been devastating against early Spits, only thanks to the great flexibility of R. Mitchell 's masterpiece was possible adapt a new engine to the Spitfire for fighting this new foe.

  • @einundsiebenziger5488

    @einundsiebenziger5488

    4 ай бұрын

    ... it entered *service ...

  • @rickylarsen8320
    @rickylarsen83205 ай бұрын

    love your stories about WW2 planes. Hope you can do a story about supermarine Firefly, my favorite aircraft from WW2.

  • @derauditor5748
    @derauditor57485 ай бұрын

    The Long Noses FW190 are so beautiful.

  • @Pimthrow
    @Pimthrow5 ай бұрын

    I love the feel of danger I get when he talks about the butcher bird.

  • @Poliss95
    @Poliss955 ай бұрын

    The pilot of the captured 190, Faber, was not an inexperienced pilot. He was an instructor who had flown 1,000 hours. Shortly before landing he had shot down a Spitfire in a complicated manoeuvre.

  • @edwardmylnychuk5774
    @edwardmylnychuk57744 ай бұрын

    so good to see a different perspective on war planes and how they evolved, i heard that the jet planes of the germans were quite the bird also

  • @fritztheblitz1061
    @fritztheblitz10615 ай бұрын

    Great video, thank you for the work. If im right BMW didnt was allowed to bild more engine's for planes. They bild some realy good Engine's. I enjoy youre work a lot. Greetings from Germany

  • @einundsiebenziger5488

    @einundsiebenziger5488

    4 ай бұрын

    ... was allowed to build* (switch off German auto-correct when typing in English) more engines* for planes. They built* some really* good engines* (plural, no apostrophe). I enjoy your* work.

  • @jtmachete
    @jtmachete5 ай бұрын

    Awesome video. 👌

  • @allgood6760
    @allgood67605 ай бұрын

    Great plane 👍✈️